“That’s the lifeblood of our offense,” said Dave Warner, co-offensive coordinator and running backs coach.

“Any time you can run, you’re able to mix in play-action pass and throw the ball downfield and create big plays. That was pretty evident today, and that’s been our deal since we’ve been here is we’ve got to be able to run the football.”

Saturday was the ideal time for MSU’s running game to find its footing considering the explosive nature of Indiana’s offense, and the combination of blocking, running and play-calling allowed the Spartans to keep the ball away from it.

“Offensively, we felt like we had to control the tempo of the game and had to definitely win the field position (battle),” said head coach Mark Dantonio, who called for the classic “Pound Green Pound,” chant on Twitter before the game.

“And we had to be able to take the air out of the ball some, which I felt like we did.”

Junior running back Jeremy Langford set new career-highs in carries (23), yards (110) and touchdowns (four total, three rushing) against a defense that has been vulnerable to the run all season.

Langford’s standout day was highlighted by a 32-yard scoring run in the third quarter in which he displayed deadly breakaway speed. Indiana defenders had angles on him by the time he reached the 20-yard line, and Langford kicked it into a higher gear and raced to the end zone untouched.

It was a refreshing big play for the coaching staff as well, which has been awaiting an opportunity for Langford to break off a big gain.

“It was important to me, but the win is more important,” Langford said. “If we’re winning and I’m not getting the long one, I’m happy with that. But I’m happy (and) excited that I got the long one today.”

Freshman Delton Williams, who got his redshirt removed last week at Iowa, provided the boom to Langford’s flash and chipped in 92 yards of his own, including a 37-yard dash. Williams fumbled for the second consecutive game, but Dantonio said he kept feeding him carries to reinforce the young back’s confidence.

“We’ve got some guys (that are) different types of runners,” Dantonio said. “We’ve got the banger a little bit in Delton Williams, and he stepped in there for some tough yards and broke a couple. And then you have Jeremy Langford (who’s) a little bit more of a slasher, and Nick Hill’s a very quick north-south runner when he has an opportunity.”

Fellow freshman R.J. Shelton, who was recruited as a running back before switching to wide receiver, also got in on the action by taking a reverse 34 yards to the house for his first career touchdown.

One player that didn’t contribute much to the rushing stats was sophomore quarterback Connor Cook, with just 17 yards. His role in the running game could increase in the near future, though, as Dantonio said he believes Cook can be a 100-yard rusher.

Until then, Williams is eager to keep showing what he can do and why Dantonio compared him to former stud Le’Veon Bell from a physical standpoint during training camp. The 6-foot-1, 220-pound Williams displayed some of the powerful running Bell was known for while rushing more times than any back in the country last season.

“I’m one of them guys that – I like to bang,” Williams said. “I like to bang. I like for you to hit me, because I know if you don’t I’m gonna bring it to you.”